The door creaked open and Thor snuffled in his sleep. He was vaguely aware that the sun was beginning to sneak past his blinds and crawl onto his sleeping form, warming him from the winter cold that his blankets kept at bay. Just a few more minutes, his brain supplied, and Thor was eager to agree. Just a few more minutes.

Footsteps padded closer to his bed and Thor shifted slightly so his face wasn't completely in his pillow. He cracked open an eye, only to get a thick, woolen sock with a smiling Rudolph in greeting.

Thor broke into a large smile. Loki.

"Mom says if you're not up and downstairs in five minutes I get to open your presents," Loki informed him. "Also, it's your year to wear the elf hat." A hat was thrown onto Thor's face as he sat up, the blankets pooled around his waist.

"Brother?" Thor asked, stopping Loki's retreat.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Thor hadn't understood why Loki was avoiding him or, to be perfectly honest, every other person in the house. He had asked his parents what the problem was, but they two didn't seem to be on speaking terms and Thor wondered what it was he had missed when he had gone out.

He had, eventually, decided to approach Loki about the whole ordeal. Which wasn't one of his better ideas, considering Loki had begun yelling at him about knowing things that he didn't and of course he knew because he was the golden child.

And then he stormed away, leaving Thor confused and slightly frightened, in the hallway. But as Thor noticed his parents slowly speaking and his grandparents no longer walking on egg shells, Thor had decided to approach the adults of the household.

Unfortunately they were very unhelpful and so Thor went back to his room to try to piece together just what the problem was. Loki was upset. His grandparents looked suspiciously guilty, his grandma in particular. His mother was furious with his father, and his father just seemed resigned with the whole thing.

Conclusion: His grandmother did something that upset Loki, his father did not react in a way that his mother liked and was thus in the doghouse, and, because no one was doing anything about it, Loki was in the right.

With that cleared up, Thor knocked on Loki's door and asked permission for entry. He was denied, but Thor was not so easily deterred and so sat in front of his door until Loki opened it while on his way to the bathroom.

Thor could tell by Loki's face that he was tired, upset, and had been crying. Though whether the tears were recent or not, Thor couldn't tell. He had once again called Loki, "Brother." To which Loki snarled, "I'm not your brother," before trying to slam the door.

Thor, however, was expecting this and managed to slide his body into the room. They stood there silently, staring at each other, Loki with hurt in his eyes. Thor didn't know why Loki was sad. He didn't know anything. And he said so, cautiously putting a hand on Loki's shoulder, saying that he did not like to see Loki frown.

An argument broke out, as it tended to; he and Loki seemed to excel at arguing, though Thor had grown content at how little they had done that as of late. And then Loki pointed an accusing finger at Thor and told him to stop pretending that they were brothers when Thor knew along that they were not.

That had stumped Thor more than anything. He did not understand what Loki was talking about. And then suddenly Loki sunk to the floor, and Thor ran to him and held him to his chest. Because no matter how angry Loki may be or could be, it was Thor's job to be there for him. And Thor could hear Loki repeat, "You didn't know," over and over again and Thor didn't know what to say so he didn't say anything, but he did hold him close and patted his back, rubbing soothing circles.

That was two days ago. They hadn't spoken since.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Loki stood in the doorway, hand on the door knob. He could feel Thor's eyes on him and silently cursed his cowardice. He had come to terms with lots of things. He wasn't healed. But he was on the mend.

And this cut – this wound – was the one that couldn't decide whether it would become infectious or not. Odin (that wound was more like a broken limb, needing assistance and time to heal) had apologized for misleading Loki to false conclusions. But the minor scrape was strategically placed over Loki's heart and had slowly grown bigger.

Loki had always loved Thor, despite how much of an idiot the older boy was. He was his brother and had accepted Loki, no matter what. Of course, he had grown up and paid Loki less attention but when he had turned his smile and eyes on Loki, he knew that to Thor, there would be no one more special or marvelous. As if Thor was the lucky one to be related to such a supreme being. Thor was exceedingly proud to have Loki as a brother.

And that's probably why it hurt. If it had just been an act… then Loki really wasn't special or perfect or any of those things. Though Loki now knew it wasn't, there was still a part of him that wanted to believe. That wanted to be angry.

But Loki pushed those thoughts aside and wiggled his reindeer clad toes and faced Thor who had put that ridiculous hat on his head. "Brother?" he breathed, quirking an eyebrow and raising his mouth to a smirk.

Thor smiled brightly and boomed, "Merry Christmas," before climbing out of bed and rushing towards Loki.

Loki yelped, running out of the room and down the hallway, but found that wool socks and hardwood floors did not make a very good combination, something he failed to remember every year. Thor laughed loudly, catching Loki just before he fell and tossed him over his shoulder as Loki kicked and yelled and pounded on his back.

"Let me down," Loki demanded. "You big elf."

Thor carried Loki down to the living room where his Father and grandparents were already waiting. He threw Loki onto the couch and Loki grabbed Thor's arm and bit it. Thor let out a shout and the two quickly delved into their yearly wrestling match.

The living room was soon filled with the sounds of shouting and laughter and it was that happy scene that greeted Frigga as she came into the room, a tray of hot chocolate in her hands.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Tony raised the half empty wine bottle into the air in a mocking toast before lowering it to his lips to take a long draught, cringing at the taste. To be perfectly honest he was only drinking because his father had abandoned him last night to attend some holiday party, the type that didn't call for a seventeen year old to be present.

Now the morning after, Tony had knocked on his father's door only to find the party had ended in his father's room. In a fit of fury Tony grabbed the nearest wine bottle and locked himself in his room, retreating to the balcony and wishing people were out and about this Christmas morning so he had someone he could direct his anger to.

Howard should have just left him at home. He could be sleeping in his bed right now, listening to some inane Christmas song Jarvis decided to use as a wakeup call. He could be working on Clint's notorious churrobo, or texting Loki about the goodies he had gotten from Santa Claus. He could actually be happy.

Instead, he was alone. Completely and utterly alone.

Tony put the lip of the bottle to his mouth and blew, enjoying the hollow sound the empty bottle made. He half considered going back into his father's room and getting another one, but the last thing he wanted to see was some bimbo wrapped around his father. One look was enough.

Since arriving Tony had been under close watch, not so much as allowed to sneeze without his father's permission. He attended meetings, and conferences; he spoke to possible partners (Howard called them partners, but really they were going to be eaten by the big, bad, company, forced to pretend they were equals when they knew that they were nothing at all); went to dinners with Generals and Colonels and was forced to flirt with their daughters and granddaughters.

It was disgusting. And every second of each miserable moment there was his dad, watching him. Tony thought he could have just an ounce of freedom when his dad ran off to go be irresponsible, but he had left people to watch him, and watch him they did. He couldn't even answer his phone without one of his dad's guard dogs sniffing at him, expecting only the worst. No doubt trying to catch the name of the person Tony was conversing with so as to report back to daddy.

He was just lucky that his dad hadn't confiscated the phone. The tech alone was worth billions. Tony wasn't going to pretend it wasn't. His father would kill for tech like Jarvis.

"It's a little early to be drinking, don't you think?"

"Is it?" Tony asked.

Obadiah sat down in the chair opposite Tony, taking away the bottle, to which Tony pouted. "As much as I think you'd be a fantastic musician," Obie smiled, "how about we wait till the other patrons awake."

"Aren't adults supposed to punish children for drinking?" Tony sneered, sitting up and staring Obie in the eye. "Or do you just not give a shit?"

Obadiah sighed, "Tony."

"It's Christmas," Tony replied, sitting back. "Merry Christmas, Obie. And a Happy Kwanzaa."

The older man stood and straightened his suit, ruffling Tony's hair as he walked past. "We need you dressed and sober in an hour."

"And if I'm not?"

Obie opened the hotel door open, two bodyguards and a maid waiting just outside the door. He let them in and Tony glared at them. "Merry Christmas, Tony."

Author's Note: I wanted to do all of Christmas like I had done all of Thanksgiving, but I have work in like an hour (oh yeah. I got a job. I am now responsible) and I wanted to post this already. Also, I needed to address the whole Thor thing and so that happened. New chapter next week. And because I can, on the 14th I will be posting my Frostiron Bang story so be on the look out for that. It is called Smultronställe. And it's going to be awesome (it has to or I will cry) with fabulous art by lostinthebabylon.

So yes. Now I'm going to look for my damn fall jacket because it is way too cold right now. Also I got two ideas for future fics, so if you still want me to write something or want me to think about writing something then let me know. Because if not, GreenLoki may just get their mobster!AU. Aardvark!